Features:...

Punch Quest, the latest title from Madgarden and Rocketcat Games, started out as a freemium download. Unfortunately for the developers, that pricing scheme failed. In an effort to make some money on the game, they’ve just raised the price to $0.99.

Making money from a freemium game requires a delicate balance. Give away too much in-game currency or too many power-ups, and players won’t feel the need to spend real-life money. Give away too little, and they’ll stop playing the game entirely. For developers who do find that balance, freemium games can be a huge cash cow– just look at the list of top-grossing games on the App Store. At the time of this writing, all but one of the games on there are freemium. Even after a recent update aimed at correcting the balance, Punch Quest apparently still hasn’t managed to bring in as much money as the developers would like.

We’ve loved every second we’ve spent with Punch Quest (and we’ve spent many hours playing the game). We gave it a Must Have score in our review, and even awarded it Game of the Month for October. We think the game is well worth a dollar, so we’re hopeful that the developers can make enough money from it to keep coming out with excellent games. If you haven’t downloaded Punch Quest yet, don’t let the $0.99 price tag stop you.

Beloved smashing game Punch Quest may be getting a sequel. However, it’s a big “if” that’s based on a vague tweet from developer Paul “Madgarden” Pridham asking “hypothetically” about a preferred art style for the potential game. That’s far from any kind of confirmation, but there’s nothing wrong with hoping, right?

October has come and gone, and it has left a trail of Must Have games in its wake. We played and reviewed a lot of the biggest games to hit the App Store, but one stands above all others. It’s an endless brawler from the makers of Hook Champ and Sword of Fargoal, and it’s a total blast.

Our Game of the Month winner for October is Punch Quest, a game that’s nearly impossible to put down once you start playing. In it, you run along in a side-scrolling world, jabbing and uppercutting every enemy in sight in a joyous, carnage-filled sprint. Perhaps best of all, the game is free to download, so be sure to pick it up if you haven’t yet.

But alas, everything has a price, and the makers of Punch Quest have struggled to monetize the game. We’re not sure how or if they’ll re-balance the rewards system in the future, but we have faith that they’ll keep it fun for everyone. It’s not often we give a free-to-play game our Game of the Month award, but Punch Quest has earned it.

Our runner-up for Game of the Month is the absurd and amazing Devil’s Attorney, from 1337 Game Design. This game puts you in the sleazy shoes of Max McMann as he swindles and tricks his way through court cases. But instead of taking gameplay cues from the likes of Phoenix Wright, Devil’s Attorney plays more like an RPG, a la Final Fantasy. And if you’re still not convinced to give it a shot, watch the trailer above and listen to the incredibly catchy theme song.

Congratulations to Rocketcat, Madgarden, and 1337 Game Design for making our two favorite iOS games to come out in October. But don’t forget to check out these other highly recommended, Must Have new games:

Link uses a sword, and the Belmont clan uses a whip, but the hero of Rocketcat and Madgarden’s Punch Quest uses only his fists (and the occasional laser-blasting velociraptor) to battle through a castle full of monsters. This hands-on approach leads to an outrageously physical game, where jabs and uppercuts punctuate every jump, sending zombie heads and torches flying. Don’t hesitate to download this incredible game, because it’s absolutely addictive.

Punch Quest feels like a combination of Castlevania and Jetpack Joyride. It’s loosely based on the auto-running genre of games, but with a much bigger emphasis on combat. Instead of simply trying to survive by avoiding enemies and pits, in Punch Quest you can build up a huge score by fighting back with your fists. A kinetic physics engine turns every knocked-out monster into another chance to boost your score multiplier. For example, you can run up to a skeleton, knock his skull into a nearby bat, juggle that bat into an orc, and so on.

A wizard is never late, he punches precisely when he means to.

Rocketcat and Madgarden’s retro production values and sly humor also make this game stand out from an endless series of running games. Punch Quest has 16-bit style sprites, with expressive enemies who appear pained while you pummel them. Every so often as you play, you’ll be allowed to pick a branching path that can lead you to a treasure chest, swarm of enemies, boss encounter, or a giant egg containing either a laser-firing dinosaur mount or a gnome, which serve as a ridiculous sort of bonus round.

Punch Quest’s gameplay feels varied every time you play, partly because the traditional jump controls are replaced with aerial attacks, letting you stay focused on combat even while you try to avoid pits and spikes. What also helps are the special abilities, which you’ll activate by filling up a meter at the bottom of the screen. Between rounds, you can customize your loadout to get the perfect combination of special moves– for example, you can pay in-game currency to make your fists shatter any enemy’s wooden shields, or turn dead enemies into an explosive device.

Who wants to jump into the pile of skulls?

You’re also given three challenges, like in Tiny Wings or Jetpack Joyride. These will lead you to new attacks, which are easy to find if you just follow the helpful floating gnome heads in the menus. Less impactful is the character customization, where you can spend your coins on silly hats for no discernible reason.

The most amazing thing about Punch Quest is that it’s a free download (Rocketcat’s first). We were able to play for hours, getting maximum enjoyment out of this title without paying a dime. In-app purchases are an option if you want to unlock the best special moves right away, or if you feel the need to dress up your character, but we didn’t find them to be essential.

Historically accurate.

For its incredible graphics, sound, physics, controls, and humor, we’re giving Punch Quest our highest recommendation. The fact that this amazing, high-score beat ’em up game is a free download is just the cherry on a delicious sundae. If you love old-school platformers, new-school auto-running games, or boxing zombies and watching their guts go flying, download Punch Quest right away.

The original Mos Speedrun was one of those nearly perfect games that absolutely nailed exactly what it was going for: creating a super tight platformer that was designed for speedruns. The sequel is coming soon, and this new trailer shows what to expect.